Rising prices dominated trading on the Jamaica Stock Exchange Main Market on Friday after a 57 percent decline in the volume traded, with a 25 percent increase in value compared to Thursday.
At the close, the All Jamaican Composite Index advanced by 1,123.91 points to 422,982.26, the Main Index rose 1,017.06 points to 385,859.59 and the JSE Financial Index gained 0.32 points to settle at 98.63.
Trading ended with 42 securities changing hands, the same as on Thursday and closed with prices of 19 stocks rising, 14 declining and nine remaining unchanged. The PE Ratio closed with an average of 16.7 based on ICInsider.com’s forecast of 2020-21 earnings.
Investors traded 11,202,034 shares for $62,395,199 compared to 25,722,942 units at $49,768,965 on Thursday.
Carreras led trading with 45.2 percent of total volume for 5.06 million shares followed by Wigton Windfarm with 13.7 percent for 1.54 million units and Transjamaican Highway with 12.5 percent market share after 1.4 million units changed hands. 
Trading averaged 266,715 units at $1,485,600, compared to 612,451 shares at $1,184,975 on Thursday. Month to date, resulted in anaverage of 307,577 units at $1,178,094 in contrast to 310,349 units at $1,157,230 on Thursday. Trading in December averaged 455,206 units at $7,774,631.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows nine stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and three with lower offers.
At the close of the market, Barita Investments rose 98 cents to end at $82.98, trading 11,785 shares, Caribbean Cement declined by $3 to $60 after trading 37,604 stock units, JMMB Group gained 50 cents to close at $33, in swapping 55,094 shares. Mayberry Jamaican Equities settled at $6, with a loss of $1.05 after exchanging 93,304 stock units, Palace Amusement dropped $88.90 to end at $1,001, after investors switched ownership of 27 shares, PanJam Investment climbed $3 to $68.50 trading 2,555 stock units.
Sagicor Real Estate Fund advanced by 70 cents to close at $8.95, in clearing the market with 193 units, Salada Foods rose 99 cents to $35 while exchanging 300 stock units and Scotia Group finished 60 cents higher at $44.60, with 75,000 shares changing hands.
In the preference segment, Eppley 8.25% fell $1 to $6, with 5,000 shares crossing the market.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.
At the close, the market is down 2.7 percent for the year so far (39 percent annualized) as the All Jamaican Composite Index dropped 1,727.89 points to 421,858.35, the Main Index fell by 1,536.26 points to 384,842.53 and the JSE Financial Index lost 1.21 points to settle at 98.31.
Trading averaged 612,451 units at $1,184,975, versus 235,221 shares at $2,649,800 on Wednesday. Trading month to date averaged 310,349 units at $1,157,230, in contrast to 288,359 units at $1,155,210 on Wednesday. Trading in December averaged 455,206 units at $7,774,631.
Proven Investments finished 40 cents higher at $36.90, in an exchange of 5,239 stock units, Sagicor Real Estate Fund shed 70 cents in closing at $8.25, in clearing the market with 2,042 shares, Scotia Group slipped 30 cents to $44 while exchanging 7,718 stocks. Stanley Motta gained 39 cents to settle at $5.45, in trading 296 stock units, Supreme Ventures rose 50 cents to close at $17.50, with the swapping of 50,071 shares and Sygnus Credit Investments advanced by 99 cents to $18.39, with 5,816 units changing hands.
The All Jamaican Composite Index fell by 1,177.07 points to 423,586.24, the Main Index declined 925.66 points to 386,406.15 and the JSE Financial Index lost 0.30 points to close at 99.52.
Trading for the day averaged 235,221 units at $2,649,800, compared to 130,214 shares at $830,150 on Tuesday. Trading month to date averaged 288,359 units at $1,155,210, in contrast to 292,746 units at $1,031,829 on Tuesday. Trading in December averaged 455,206 units at $7,774,631.
NCB Financial rose $1 in ending at $139, with the swapping of 25,215 shares, 138 Student Living rose 65 cents to $4, in exchange of 200 units, Pan Jam Investment gained 41 cents to settle at $68.50, after clearing the market with 5,825 units, Sagicor Group lost 75 cents to end at $49.25, with an exchange of 8,531 units. Scotia Group closed at $44.30, with gains of 30 cents after exchanging 12,713 shares, Supreme Ventures rose 35 cents to $17 trading 14,379 stocks, Sygnus Credit Investments finished 40 cents higher at $17.40, with the swapping of 74,012 stock units.
At the close, the All Jamaican Composite Index dropped 3,548.17 points to 424,763.31, the JSE Main Index carved out a loss 3,280.43 points to settle at 387,331.81 and the JSE Financial Index shed 0.77 points to close at 99.82. The day’s loss pulled the market down two percent for the year to date.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows seven stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and three with lower offers.
Salada Foods settled at $34.01, with a loss of 99 cents after exchanging 100 shares, Scotia Group climbed $1.90 to $44, in swapping 4,422 units, Stanley Motta slipped 41 cents to $5.06, in crossing the market with 4,021 stock units and Supreme Ventures shed 65 cents to close at $16.65, after 34,402 shares cleared the market.
Trading month to date averaged 307,009 units at $1,049,528 for each security, in contrast to 326,985 units at $1,105,486 on Friday. Trading in December averaged 455,206 units at $7,774,631.
Pan Jam Investment closed at $68, after losing $2.17 and trading 4,017 shares, Sagicor Real Estate Fund rose 70 cents to $8.95, in a transfer of 250 stocks, Salada Foods advanced to $35, with gains of $1.80 in switching ownership of 44,051 stock units. Scotia Group fell $1.90 to $42.10, exchanging 8,179 shares and Seprod gained 30 cents, ending at $63.80 after 10,198 stocks crossed the exchange.
The Main Market slipped a bit to end the first half of January, with a modest loss but technical indicator points to it heading towards the 460,000 points level on the All Jamaica Composite Index, soon. The Junior Market is up 2.4 percent since the 2020 close and is a few points away from the level reached at the close of March 5 last year, having surpassed the April high, as the bullish golden cross takes full hold on the market to launch a big rally.
The stock gained 50 cents at the close on Friday but traded as high as $5 during the week and moved from fifth spot last week to ninth position on the 2020/21 TOP10 list. Jamaican Teas gained 25 percent since December and seems poised to move higher as interest in the stock grows since the announcement of a three for one stock split late last year. An indication of increased interest is the exchange of 4 million shares on Friday. The stock moved from the fourth position last week to seventh this past week as it gained 24 percent for the week.
The current TOP 10 report is based on earnings for 2020/21 as there are substantial gains ahead, for many stocks in the listings.
The PE ratio for the Junior Market Top 10 stocks average a mere 7.6 at just 52 percent of the market average. The Main Market TOP 10 stocks trade at a PE of 9.2 or 56 percent of the PE of that market.
Trading for the day averaged 151,130 units at $853,303, compared to 301,312 shares at $1,395,993 on Thursday. Trading month to date averaged 326,985 units at $1,105,486, in contrast to 346,427 units at $1,133,366 on Thursday. Trading in December averaged 455,206 units at $7,774,631.
Kingston Wharves shed 74 cents to end at $46.76, in switching ownership of 425 units, NCB Financial fell $1 to $139, with 37,390 stock units crossing the market, Palace Amusement dropped $200 in closing at $1,100, with an exchange of 39 units. PanJam Investment fell $1.77 to $70.17, in transferring 1,793 units, Salada Foods ended at $33.20, with a loss of $2.80 trading 21,881 stocks, Scotia Group rose $1 to $44, after exchanging 22,377 shares, Seprod shed 70 cents in closing at $63.50, in an exchange of 10,331 stocks and Stanley Motta settled at $5.45, with gains of 39 cents while exchanging 7,231 stock units.
At the close, the All Jamaican Composite Index dipped 55.38 points to 426,012.48, the Main Index gained 128.37 points to 388,746.14 and the JSE Financial Index slipped 0.08 points to settle at 100.17.
Trading for the day averaged 301,312 units at $1,395,993 for each security compared to an average of 361,368 shares at $1,264,797 on Wednesday. Trading month to date averaged 346,427 units at $1,133,366, in contrast to 351,891 units at $1,101,554 on the prior trading day. Trading in December averaged 455,206 units at $7,774,631.
Kingston Properties rose 50 cents to $7.25, in exchanging 1,000 units, Kingston Wharves gained 35 cents to $47.50 in exchanging 1,100 shares. MPC Caribbean Clean Energy dropped $7.47 to $150 after transferring 250 units, NCB Financial rose 50 cents to $140, trading 12,328 stocks. Pan Jam Investment advanced $5.84 to $71.94, with 270 units changing hands, Scotia Group gained 50 cents to close at $43 after exchanging 7,800 stock units and Seprod climbed $2.20 to $64.20, in trading 13,586 shares.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading has seven stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and five with lower offers.
Pulse Investments lost 30 cents to end at $4.45, with investors swapping 2,607,378 shares, Sagicor Group rose 85 cents to end at $50.35 after trading 10,629 stock units, Sagicor Real Estate Fund declined by $1.95 to $6.30, as investors swapped 10,000 shares and Salada Foods fell $2.75 to $26, with 871 units crossing the market.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows ten stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and three with lower offers.
Pulse Investments gained 8 cents in closing at $4.75, after exchanging 3,765,486 shares, Sagicor Group shed 95 cents to end at $49.50 in exchanging 9,798 units. Sagicor Real Estate Fund fell 73 cents to $8.25, with 1,010,838 stocks changing hands, Supreme Ventures shed 40 cents in closing at $17.50, after the transfer of 29,737 shares. Sygnus Credit Investments rose 57 cents to $17.27, in trading 9,730 units and Victoria Mutual Investments lost 9 cents in closing at $5.91, with an exchange of 46,532 stock units.